Single Idea 15673

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 4. Categorical Imperative]

Full Idea

Kant's first formulation of the categorical imperative is supposed to capture the widespread intuition that one ought not to make an exception of oneself.

Gist of Idea

The intuition behind the categorical imperative is that one ought not to make an exception of oneself

Source

report of Immanuel Kant (Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals [1785]) by James Gordon Finlayson - Habermas Ch.6:83

Book Reference

Finlayson,James G.: 'Habermas' [OUP 2005], p.83


A Reaction

Interesting. I always take the plain English version to be 'what if everybody did that?' Suppose I were to forgive everyone, except myself?